


Caught

by Stariceling



Category: Tsuritama
Genre: Anxiety, Gen, OT5 Friendship, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-18
Updated: 2014-01-18
Packaged: 2018-03-18 07:31:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3561383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stariceling/pseuds/Stariceling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Urara is back on Earth for both recovery and rehabilitation, but when he slips during a fishing trip he's sure he's ruined everything.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Caught

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Semianonymity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Semianonymity/gifts).



> For Semi!
> 
> Prompts:  
> C - Footsteps  
> U - Promises. Vows. Oaths.  
> T - An argument.  
> E - Raw emotion. Passion, fluff, angst…
> 
> I feel I need to level up to write for this series just because So. Many. Feels. *lies down*

He had broken his promise. That was the first thought on Urara’s mind as he was hauled up into the dry air. All he could think was that he had ruined everything. He had promised not to go back into the ocean, not to let his mind reach out of control again, but all it had taken was one wrong step. He had almost taken over Haru’s mind by reflex, grabbing out in panic when he hit the water.

If he could have he would have flattened down into a bow to escape. He wanted to be low and small and non-threatening, but be couldn’t even do that. Akira was holding him up, only letting him sink slowly to his knees and then sit back. He wasn’t allowed to fall to the dock.

“This is why I kept telling you to stay hydrated!” Akira’s voice made him flinch.

“How many times did I tell you to put your life vest on?” Suddenly Natsuki was in front of him, making Akira let go so he could manhandle Urara into the life vest he had left behind.

“It’s not going to make a difference if he turns into a fish the minute he hits the water.”

“It makes a difference! Does he even know how to swim as a human?”

“You’re being a child. Stop yelling just because you’re worried!”

“And what are you doing?”

Urara tried the hunch away from the argument being waged over his shoulder, fingers twisting nervously in his hair. Unable to speak out with his mind, the pressing nervousness started to creep out of his mouth. “Fidget-fidget, fidget-fidget.”

Haru pounced on him from one side, flinging arms around his neck and disturbing his fidgeting. “Urara, why didn’t you stay close to everyone?”

Because he wasn’t part of everyone. He wasn’t part of their group. He saw the way they read each other’s movements, and it might be in a slow, watchful, human way that reminded him they didn’t speak the way he was used to, but they mingled close together in a way even he could read. That was the school Haru had chosen.

Yuki knelt close at his other side, grabbing Urara’s hand and making him jump. His face was quickly going as red as his hair.

“A-are-” The words were choked off. Urara looked down politely from the strained face Yuki was making. He felt the others shift around him, rearranging themselves around Yuki. Natsuki moved sideways, knees bumping with Urara’s as he gave Yuki space to breathe. At the same time he felt Akira give Haru a nudge, prompting him to shift so he was no longer laying on Urara’s hair, which he wrapped around his free hand.

Yuki gasped in a deep breath and letting it out again asked, “Okay?”

Urara stared, uncomprehending. Yuki was smiling at him, the expression making his eyes soft.

“Are you okay?”

He wasn’t okay. He knew the minute he touched the water everything had to go wrong. Now he didn’t even know what was happening. It was like being back in the bait ball, the whirlwind of people churning around him but never reaching him, never touching, and no matter how far he reached he couldn’t find a single voice calling back to him.

But Yuki was holding his hand. He looked down at that point of contact. Yuki rearranged his awkward grip but didn’t let go.

Akira’s hand squeezed his shoulder. “Urara, do you need more water?”

Haru snuggled against him, smiling bright and easy, and chirped, “See? Everyone’s worried about you!” as if he had heard Urara’s thoughts even through dry air.

Hesitantly, he looked to Natsuki, who was kneeling right in front of him, knees touching his. He thought it had to be an accident. Until Natsuki met his eyes and silently laid a hand on his knee, making it clear the touch was deliberate.

Urara was surrounded, but not alone. Somehow he had been folded into their group. Yet he was sure he hadn’t made this happen. This wasn’t him pulling them into a school around him. So how could this be happening?

“I’m very sorry,” he whispered.

“Don’t say sorry,” came one of Haru’s playful scoldings.

Yuki spoke up, more calm and patient, “We’re worried that you’re hurt. You don’t have to be sorry about that.”

“I promised I wouldn’t go in the ocean.”

“You fell,” Natsuki interrupted, brash annoyance punctured by a squeeze to Urara’s knee. “No one blames you for that.”

“We should have kept a closer eye on you since you weren’t feeling well,” Akira added.

The cloying net of fear was slowly being cut away. Urara squeezed Yuki’s hand back. He still marveled at how warm their hands were, but even more how careful and kind they could be, as if they could hear his hope and fear.

“I’m okay,” Urara whispered, finally answering Yuki’s question. He wasn’t completely sure he was okay in the way Yuki meant. He felt lightheaded and knew his hands would start shaking if not firmly anchored, but he wasn’t hurt and he wasn’t alone. That was worth a lot.

“I think you should rest in the shade for a while. You must have gotten pretty dry.” Natsuki added.

Akira made an small offended noise, as he often did when someone else took charge, but he didn’t argue, focusing on Urara instead. “Can you stand?”

Urara took a deep breath, let Haru slide off his shoulder, and found he could stand. Though his steps were a little unsteady, it didn’t scare him the way it should have. He had people he trusted to catch him.


End file.
